Obsession
by A Spoonful of Salt
Summary: Izuku Midoriya had always been a tad bit obsessed with the thought of heroes and villains and Quirks in general.Taking notes of fighting styles, Quirk strengths, Quirk limitations. Memorizing hero catchphrases, buying collector's items; covering his walls in pictures and drawings of villains and heroes, A-listers and C-listers alike. (full description inside)
1. Description/TW/Pairings

**_Extended Description and Trigger Warnings and Pairings_**

Izuku Midoriya had always been a tad bit obsessed with the thought of heroes and villains and Quirks in general.

Taking notes of fighting styles, Quirk strengths, Quirk limitations. Memorizing hero catchphrases, buying collector's items; covering his walls in pictures and drawings of villains and heroes, A-listers and C-listers alike.

Of course, if one looked at this behavior on the surface, it seemed completely normal. Never had Izuku let his fanboying get in the way of school work or his social life.

No-one thought to even suspect him in the slightest when heroes started to go missing, only to be found, dead, with some body part or another missing. No-one noticed Izuku's instability and unhealthy addiction to all things with super powers. At least, not at first.

 ** _Trigger Warnings_**

sexual elements, major character death, profanity, stalkerish tendencies, blood, gore, possible non-con, one-sided love, mental disorder, unhealthy perception of love, mania

 ** _Pairings_**

One-sided Bakudeku (Izuku fawning over Bakugo)

One-sided Tododeku (Izuku fawning over Todoroki)

One-sided TodoBakuDeku (Izuku again)

(mentioned) Bakushima (eventually)


	2. Prologue

**Prologue: Gateway to Insanity**

It was the night after Izuku Midoriya was told he would never have a Quirk.

He sat at the computer, watching the clip of his favorite superhero, Allmight, rescue innocent people over and over again.

"Quirkless." He thought to himself, teeth worrying his lower lip. The thought almost brought tears to his eyes. Almost.

"Mom," the child said aloud, still staring at the screen, "D'you think I can be a hero too?"

His mother said nothing. The boy could hear her strangled gasp as she tried told back tears. Eventually, she responded. "I- I'm sorry, Izuku," she choked out, before fleeing the room.

He clenched his jaw, tears only now coming to his eyes, but not for the reason one might think. They were tears of anger and frustration, not sadness. Anger at his mother for not even making an attempt at consolation. Frustration at his own body's incapability to inhabit a Quirk, something that should be in his DNA from the get-go; both his parents had Quirks, so why not him?

He pushed the thoughts away. Feeling like this was unproductive.

He hit the replay button on his screen again. He could still be part of the hero community. Even without a Quirk. Even without actually participating in battles.

He squeezed his Allmight figurine, a huge smile spreading across his face, eliminating any hints that he had been upset just moments ago. Yes, he would be content just observing and collecting things related to heroes and villains.

And hell, if one day he does end up in the thick of things, well... Who was he to back down from a challenge?

 **X...X**

 ** _A/N 1: I forgot to add this is an insane/villain Izuku story._**

 ** _A/N 2: Deku's intelligence in this stems from the theory that he actually DOES have a Quirk. A mental Quirk. Of course, this fact might not actually be addressed within the story, but just keep that in mind for when he reacts differently than other hormonal teens would in certain situations. I mean that's one reason. The other reason is because he's a fucking psychopath, but that's a given._**


	3. Chapter 1

**Chapter One: Icky, Sticky, Slimey, Sludge**

Izuku Midoriya made it his goal to go through life with a smile on his face.

He smiled when he woke up in the morning, he smiled at school, smiled when his peers made fun of him, and smiled when he came home to an empty house almost everyday. Why he smiled was a mystery. Perhaps he smiled because there was an overwhelming optimism in his heart that had to escape somehow. Or maybe it was because the Number One hero was never seen without a smile. Maybe it was simply a force of habit.

Or perhaps, more likely, it was a calculated move. After all, humans are more likely to trust someone happy and bubbly, and seemingly unassuming.

But did the reason really matter? Izuku didn't think so. He grinned at his reflection in the bathroom mirror, taking pride in his plaque-free teeth. His expression dimmed, though, when his eyes traveled up to his rat's nest of green and black hair. It would take at least thirty minutes to get that mess sorted out. Thirty minutes he didn't have. School started in less than ten.

He sighed, resigned. _"Oh well. I guess I'll just have to deal."_

He reinstated the grin on his face as he left the bathroom, grabbing his bag from its place on the floor. Izuku exited his house, not bothering to say goodbye as his mom, Inko Midoriya, had likely left hours ago, that is if she had come home at all the night before. It didn't bother Izuku, though. He locked the door without a second thought.

 **X...X**

The walk to school was uneventful at best. Izuku waved at passer-byers and offered a nod to an old married couple who were sat on a bench, and that was about it.

Izuku was prepared for a long, boring day of school where all he did was write in his journal, but life was full of surprises.

He felt a burst of excitement when his homeroom teacher suddenly said, "I'll be handing out printouts for you to fill out for your desired life-course." There was a pause. Probably for dramatic effect.

 _"What is this, some kind of Shounen anime?"_

The teacher continued, "But who am I kidding? You all want to be heroes, don't you!"

The class absolutely erupted with excited exclamations. Izuku's smile widened. Yes, he did want to become a hero. Even though his chances were slim to none, he had to try. After all, having a hero licence would make it easier for him to get up close and personal to villains with extremely dangerous Quirks. Izuku positively shook in pleasure as he imagined being attacked by a fatal Quirk.

Suddenly, a gruff, angry sounding voice broke out over top of the loud chattering, and Izuku shivered with glee for a different reason. Katsuki Bakugo. One of the school's best and brightest. His Quirk was extremely powerful, and the teen knew it. Yes, the boy was hot-headed, arrogant, and delightfully dangerous. Oh, and Izuku's former childhood friend. The blonde's Quirk was brilliant, and there wasn't a single day that went by that he didn't remind the class about it.

"Don't lump me in with everybody else, Sensei! You can't compare me to these weak-ass losers' Quirks. Mine's in a whole other ballgame!"

Kacchan laughed as the class exploded with retorts.

"Ah, that's right. You're aiming for Yuuei High, aren't you Bakugo..." the teacher said, looking over sheets of paperwork.

Katsuki hopped up onto a desk, beginning a mantra of goals he had, but before he could get too far, someone else cut in. "Didn't Midoriya wanna get into that school, too?"

Kacchan froze and Izuku could feel the anger coming off him in waves. Izuku groaned inwardly. As much as Bakugo's tantrums amused and excited Izuku, he didn't fancy being yelled at everyday. Oh well.

The class had started laughing at him and Katsuki destroyed his desk. Again. _"Third time this week."_

Izuku let Bakugo run his mouth quietly. He adored Kacchan, but the boy was just so closeminded, it was exhausting sometimes.

Izuku had to sit on the floor or the rest of the class period.

 **X...X**

After class, Izuku had expected to leave without issue, but Katsuki always had been unpredictable.

"We're not done here, Deku." The blonde proceeded to yank Izuku's journal from his hands and blew it up before tossing it out the window. Izuku's permanent smile faltered. Anger welled up in his chest. How dare he. _How dare he._

"Listen up, nerd. I'm the only one who's getting into Yuuei, understand? I'll be the first person from this dump to actually do something important with my life." Katsuki smiled dangerously. "So what I'm saying is, give up on Yuuei, before I make you. Got that?"

Before leaving, the boy said over his shoulder, "If you wanna be a hero so bad, you should take a swandive off the roof, and pray you get a Quirk in the next life." He laughed, finally exiting.

Izuku swallowed down his rage. It wouldn't do to get mad at his favorite person.

Anyway, he had a notebook to go save from becoming fish food.

 **X...X**

Izuku chose a different path than usual to get home that day. A little underpass that was virtually empty. He didn't know why he chose it. He supposed he just felt like a change of scenery.

He froze at a clanking sound from behind him. The manhole cover.

It burst suddenly, and an explosion of slime came from it. The green sludge had two red, beady eyes that fixed on Izuku's body almost immediately. The poor boy didn't stand a chance as the villain latched onto him, immediately going for Izuku's mouth, forcing its way into his throat.

Izuku gagged at the taste, not listening to whatever the villain was prattling on about. All Izuku could think about was how he couldn't breathe. His normally logical mind had clouded over with a strange emotion. Fear, perhaps? It was the normal response to being assaulted, right?

Izuku thrashed about, clawing at liquid desperately. His vision was fuzzy, and he could feel the slime reach his stomach, already sick of trying to force its way into his lungs. This was it. He was going to die. His vision was almost completely black now, covered in sparkly dots.

 _"At least,"_ he thought, _"I'm going out by the hands of a villain."_

And then, the world slipped from his view.

 **/unedited/**


	4. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two: Allmight and Burnt Sewage(Part 1)**

Sensation came back to him first.

He could feel jagged asphalt digging into his back, biting through his clothes. Not only that, but he felt a hand on his face. It was slapping him in a rapid fashion. _Annoying._

Izuku scrunched up his nose, peeling his eyes open. A blurry figure was crouched in front of him.

"Ah, thank goodness you're okay!"

The figure, a man, came fully into focus, and Izuku nearly choked on his own spit. _"Allmight!"_ Izuku's trademark grin could've split his face in half with how big it was. Other than that, the boy made no other indication of his excitement or surprise.

Allmight looked slightly disheartened at the apparent lack of enthusiasm. The man coughed awkwardly when the boy said nothing. He stood fully and straightened his back. "Well, anyway! I must thank you, young man! With your help I successfully ensnared the villain!" Allmight held up a soda bottle filled with green slime. "Now, I'm off to deliver this perpetrator to the authorities. When we meet again, it'll be through a TV screen!"

Izuku realized the man he had idolized for his entire life was about to leave. Izuku had so many questions, and this would probably be his only chance to ask him them! Not only that, but he had a few plans that could only come into fruition if he was in close proximity to the Number One Hero.

The boy jumped up, starting towards Allmight. "Wait-" but it was too late. The man leaped into the air. _"No!"_ Izuku thought, putting on a sudden burst of speed and grabbing onto the hero's leg.

And then he was flying through the air. Izuku felt his heart beat rapidly in his chest as he tried to get a better hold on the hero. The boy was so close to the man, he could practically feel the power pulsing through Allmight's veins.

But he couldn't dwell on that, as Allmight had started trying to pry the child off him.

"If I let go, I'll die!" Izuku shouted over the wind. Huh. That was the first full sentence he had said to his idol. Kinda underwhelming.

The blonde haired man agreed and turned his attention outward, looking for a place to land.

Once on top of a skyscraper, Allmight made to leave again. But Izuku couldn't let him. He had a question he had been dying to ask.

"Allmight," the boy said, putting as much desperation in his voice as possible. The man turned around to tell the kid that he really couldn't stay- and froze.

The way the young man was looking at him was chilling, for he'd never seen that look on a child's face before. A smile still graced the teen's lips, but it was taut and robotic. And his eyes held knowledge- knowledge no-one should possess.

"Allmight," Izuku said again, "Tell me, what is your actual Quirk?"

It would've been such an innocent question, coming from anyone else's mouth, but- No. No, this little boy couldn't know the truth about his Quirk. Allmight had never even seen him before. Allmight shook his head, regaining composure.

"Why, it's superstrength of course!"

 _"Liar,"_ Izuku wanted to say. _"I know there's something more to it."_ But he couldn't. He decided to ask a different question instead.

"Oh." He stated simply. "Well I have one more question, then. Do you think..." Izuku looked down at his shoes and let his smile slip a little; the epitome of a shy, awkward child. "Do you think that even a Quirkless person can be like you some day?"

"Kid-" Allmight was cut off with a cough and a sputter of blood.

Izuku lifted and eyebrow as the hero was suddenly engulfed in a cloud of steam. And when the white vapor cleared, a small, skeletal man was standing where the tall, buff hero used to be.

For once, Izuku was genuinely surprised. In fact, he even stumbled back a step or two. His mind went into overdrive.

 _"Interesting!"_ His inner voice screamed at him. _"Interesting! Learn more! Find out more! Pick him apart and put him back together again!"_

Yes. His all time favorite hero had just become a lot more intriguing.


	5. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: Allmight and Burnt Sewage Part 2**

Izuku shivered at this new find. A shapeshifting Quirk, perhaps? No, no. Shapeshifting wouldn't come with the immense strength and speed Allmight had.

Izuku clapped his hands together, willing himself to calm down. Allmight would explain some things, and then Izuku could go from there.

The formerly muscular hero plopped down on the roof with a sigh.

"Listen, kid..."

The man proceeded to explain why he was like how he is. About his wound and a mysterious fight that wasn't put on the air. Izuku was intrigued, at least at first. After a while, his thoughts started to drift. A villain powerful enough to injure Allmight this much when the hero was in his prime? Delectable sounding. The curly haired boy licked his lips subtly. "I would like to meet that person one day, I think."

"In short, kid. No. You can't be a hero without a Quirk."

Izuku's eye twitched. Of course he already knew that, but to hear it straight from the horse's mouth was... saddening. "Oh." He said simply.

The hero carded a hand through his hair, opening his mouth to apologize. This time, an explosion from within the city interrupted him.

Green slime had blasted into the air, and Izuku watched, fansinated as a burst of flame erupted as well.

Allmight frantically searched his pockets, realizing only now that he had dropped the soda bottles. The hero cursed, running off down the stairs of the building. Izuku stayed where he was and just watched the thick smoke rising into the air. He lifted his face and inhaled deeply.

"Smells like Kacchan..."

The boy smiled blissfully, rubbing his thighs together subtly, cheeks tinged pink. He blinked heavily, turning to the roof's door. "Better go see if he's alright," he hummed, making his way off the building.

 **X...X**

The street was crowded with morbidly curious civilians. Izuku wondered idly if they got off to watching teenagers suffocate to death. Probably.

Katsuki Bakugo was hopelessly ensnared in disgusting sludge. Of course he was putting up a valiant effort, but there was only so much one could do to someone almost made entirely of... water? It probably wasn't water, but the alternative made even Izuku gag.

Izuku frowned, looking around. None of the heroes were doing anything. And where was Allmight?

Oh right. The timer on his Quirk was still at zero.

"Useless," a voice inside his head growled, "when it comes down to it, Allmight's Quirk is worthless."

A more logical part of him disagreed, saying that the amount of people he had saved before way out numbered the people he didn't, statistically.

But Izuku didn't care about statistics, not at that moment. He only cared that his Kacchan was being killed by a villain with an absolutely repulsive Quirk. Izuku would not stand for it.

Suddenly, his feet were carrying him forward, past the barrier, and into the fray.

Kacchan's red eyes flicked up to meet Izuku's when the black haired teen threw his backpack at the villain, momentarily freezing it.

The champagne haired boy was struggling, Izuku could tell. His eyes were blown wide, pupils sheer pinpricks of black in his irises.

Izuku jumped up as high as he could, reaching for the villain's obviously volatile eyes. A sick, open lipped grin lit his face as his palm came in contact with the squishy globe of one eyeball, hand squeezing it, but not yet completely destroying it.

The villain screamed in agony, reaching out with slimey tendrils to trap Izuku as well. Thankfully, a familiar cry sounded at that moment. A triumphant "I AM HERE!" came from nowhere, and the man who produced it practically annihilated the sludge villain.

And after a force of wind so strong that it changed the weather, Izuku found himself sitting on the road with a delicate, bloodshot orb resting in his hand, listening to professional heroes berate him for his foolishness.

 _ **X...X**_

 _ **A/N: yeah, ok, so i feel like this chapter was a little rushed, but what can ya do?**_

 _ **Also, this story is crossposted on archive of our own under the same name. It has more chapters up, if you're interested. username: A_Spoonful_Of_Salt**_


	6. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four: Inko and other Domestic Activities**

Izuku stared at the drying orb in his hand as he walked down the street towards his apartment building. It was fascinating, even if it did come from a criminal with a less than desirable Quirk. It was weird, though, how none of the heroes had spared a glance at the eye when he just walked away from the crime scene with it. Was he really that unnoticeable?

He swung the eye by its nearly translucent cord, making it go around in circles as he thought.

Perhaps a plain appearance is useful. How much stuff could he get away with, being in the background? How much had he already gotten away with?

He hummed, placing the eye in his still damp bag for safe keeping, continuing onward.

He was only walking for five more minutes when a gust of wind and a whooshing sound stopped him in his tracks. There, seemingly from out of nowhere, was Allmight, who then promptly reverted into his tiny weakling figure.

"Young man!" He started out valiantly, "I have something to tell you!"

Izuku blinked up at him, a vague expression of disinterest spreading over his freckled face.

"What you did today was very brave, Young Midoriya. Heroic even! And I wish so desperately that I could give my power to you. To have a hand in creating a new symbol of peace." The man clamped a spindly hand on Izuku's shoulder. Dark blue eyes searched the boy in front of him, all he got was a cold, blank intelligence. His frown deepened. To pass One For All onto a person like this... would not fair well, he thinks.

Meanwhile, Izuku was sorting through what the hero had said and storing the information for later. "To give my power to you."

It could've been a simple wistful sentence, but Izuku knew how to pick out a loaded statement when he heard one. But what exactly did it hint at?

Allmight sighed. "Alas, my dear boy I think it would be better if you focused on other things. Cultivated your own uh... special talents. You can do great things, I'm sure. In your own way." The man rested a hand patronizingly on Izuku's head, ruffling greenish black curls as he walked past. "Have a nice night, Izuku Midoriya. Stay safe."

Izuku was left standing alone, on a silent street, to fester in peace.

 **X...X**

Inko Midoriya was home for a change. Izuku could tell by the sound of the clanking of pots and pans from the kitchen. She was making dinner for once. It made Izuku suspicious.

The boy entered the kitchen silently, observing the woman at the oven. Inko had not aged as well as one might think. Her hair had become thin and stringy; premature streaks of white and grey lined her once silky black locks. Her eyes had a sunken in, haunted look to them and prominent crowsfeet had etched themselves into her skin. On top of all that, she was extremely thin, deathly so. His mom had never been the picture of health, but this... This had only happened when his father bailed and she discovered her only legacy was a Quirkless weirdo.

"Mother," he greeted tonelessly.

Inko didn't turn. "Welcome home, Izu. Did you have a good day?" A generic question that demanded an equally generic answer.

"It was fine. What's for dinner?"

"It's just rice tonight, I'm afraid. I was going to make fish as well, but we don't have the proper seasoning."

Izuku was skeptical. "Uh-huh." He eyed his mom once again. "I'll be in my room."

Izuku retreated as fast as possible. It always made him rather uncomfortable, being in the same room as the skeletal woman. Maybe it was the way she looked at him with thinly veiled contempt, only to speak to him in motherly tones. Maybe it was the way that everytime he ate her food, he was suddenly waking up the next morning with no memory of going to bed the night before.

It was most likely both.

Izuku sat at the desk in his room, unzipping his bag and taking out the miraculously still moist eyeball. He placed the thing carefully on the wooden surface, standing up and walking to the other side of the room and returning with a glass jar filled with liquid he swiped from the science room the month before.

He lowered the eye by its cord into the jar slowly, until it was completely covered.

The smile which had fell during the conversation with Allmight and that had stayed away when he spoke with his mom, returned full force when he placed the lid back on the container and admired his trophy.

Focus on other things, Allmight had said. That left a lot of options open, Izuku thought as he turned the glass around. Yes. Izuku Midoriya had many different interests he could focus on.

"Izuku! Dinner's ready!"

Izuku set down the eyeball-jar on a shelf on the way out of his room.

The first thing he should focus on, was pretending to eat his mother's obviously drugged food. He did not want to spend the next school day sluggish and aching. Being tired always made him think less than pleasant things.


	7. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five: To Smuggle In A Weapon...**

When Izuku woke the next day, he was refreshed, and a little thrilled. That was good. It meant he didn't accidentally ingest his mother's food. The thrill came from remembering the little eye in the glass jar. The jar originally had the unborn fetus of a deer from America or something. Izuku had found the tiny, disproportioned body interesting, so he took it. Eventually, though, like most things, Izuku got bored with it, and the jar sat in his closet. Where the deer fetus was now, was unimportant. Pretend he gave it a nice funeral and buried it if you like.

Izuku hopped out of bed, completing his morning rituals, and thinking of how he was going to integrate the little eye into his plans for the future. Despite what Allmight had said, Izuku was going to get into the hero program, even if it killed him.

He plucked up the jar with a contemplative "hmm." He was going to have to do a lot of observing, he thought, an idea slowly forming in his mind. A lot of observing and... collecting. He donned his smile and set the jar on his desk with a small clack. He scooped up his backpack, and left the apartment without checking to see if Inko was still home, because frankly, he didn't care. He had something much more important on his mind, and it was exciting him to no end.

 **X...X**

At school, there was an influx of people talking about the slime attack. But mostly, they were talking about Kacchan. He scowled (yes, really) as he noticed a trio of girls had crowded around Kacchan (who looked annoyed, honestly), asking questions way too enthusiastically in Izuku's opinion. And that wasn't even the worst part. No, these girls were disgustingly plain, not only in their looks, but in their Quirks.

 _"Ooo! You can make waterdroplets float around your fingers, whoop dee fucking do."_ Izuku ranted silently.

Those girls weren't worthy to be in the presence of such a great Quirk like Bakugo's. Revolting, really. He should put frogs in their lockers again.

Izuku continued down the hall, deciding to ignore them for now. He had a plan to finish hatching.

 **X...X**

Izuku rested his chin on one of his hands, narrowed eyes observing the way sweat beaded on Kacchan's brow even when he wasn't exerting himself. His thin hand sketched out a word on his notebook.

 _"Nitroglycerin"_

 _A flammable liquid that emits a strangely sweet smell._

Izuku closed his eyes. Nitroglycerin is also said to have a nice taste. Kacchan would taste delicious.

He shook his head quickly. He couldn't focus on that right now. He bent his head towards his paper, scribbling out the inner workings of his plan.

"Focus on other things."

Focus on Katsuki's sweat; on the possibility of extracting slime from the eyeball; on lighting something on fire without anyone noticing.

Focus on creating a hidden weapon for the U.A. entrance exams.

 **X...X**

After school- after seeing Kacchan's popularity spike- Izuku was nervous for him. Sure, Kacchan thrived under _some_ attention, but sooner or later it would get too much for the poor boy, Izuku was sure.

So, he decided it would be one of _those_ days. One of the days where he would follow behind Kacchan at a distance, you know, to make sure he got home safe. The incident the day before just reinforced the justification of watching Katsuki's every move.

He walked slowly and deliberately, carefully placing his feet down as to not make crunching noises from the stray pebbles that ended up on the walkway. There were, thankfully, no incidents, and Izuku smiled contently when he heard the screamed greeting Kacchan gave to his mom.

Izuku turned and began his own walk home, barely two blocks away from the Bakugo household.

 **X...X**

The day of the entrance exams was edging closer, and Izuku had made immense progress on his weapon. He had finally made it past the blueprint stage, and was quickly approaching the end of the actual building part.

For about a month he had been collecting metal pieces from the garbage dump and using money he took from Inko's account to buy a few necessary wires and a fruit juicer.

The juicer was, of course, for the eye that he pulled out of the formaldehyde jar. It turned out that the orb was almost completely _filled_ with the slime the criminal was made of, and it turned out that the sludge was very flammable, but didn't exactly burn. It would be perfect for a big bonfire, he thought absently as he welded more pieces of metal together.

Long nights of testing and retesting finally payed off, and observing the final product, Izuku felt a swell of pride in himself that he hadn't felt in a long time.

 ** _He was getting into U.A. High_**.

 **X...X**

Izuku felt a faint trill of anxiety in his chest as he approached the grand building that housed his hopes. The other students looking to get in were clumping together in groups. Maybe they had known each other before now.

Izuku located Kacchan out of the corner of his eye. He was scowling, like always. But the contemplative look in his ruby eyes was different. Squinting at the expression, Izuku failed to notice the crack in the concrete that seemed to come from nowhere.

The tip of his red sneaker hit the jagged blemish in the ground, and suddenly he was falling. Until he wasn't.

He had squeezed both his eyes shut in anticipation for the impact, and when it didn't come, he pried open one lid cautiously. He was hovering dangerously close to the pavement.

"Sorry!" A feminine voice spoke from behind him, and suddenly he smacked the rest of the way into the ground.

"Oops! Heh, I guess I should've waited for you to get situated, huh? Again, I'm really sorry for using my Quirk without asking you, but I figured you wouldn't want a scratched up face right before the exam."

Izuku sat up abruptly, causing the girl to flinch back from him before relaxing. He analyzed her closely for a second. Short, brown hair. Rosy cheeks. A wide, _natural_ smile.

She was cute, Izuku concluded. And she also had a gravitational Quirk, he figured.

He adjusted his smile into a sheepish one. "Uh, yeah, thanks," he said, a bit awkwardly. He wasn't prepared to engage in conversation this particular day.

She reached out her hand, offering help up. Izuku accepted solemnly.

"Welp," she said after a moment of silence when Izuku was on his feet, "Good luck on the exams!" She said, running off without introducing herself. Izuku figured he might have creeped her out, just a little, with his lack of small talk.

"Yeah. You too." Izuku whispered, continuing on.

The assembly before the practical exam was alright. Izuku finally got to see Present Mic in real life, but the experience was dampened by an annoying guy out in the crowd who complained about the robots or something.

Izuku had wished he would shut up so they could move on.

Outside the exam area, however, held a completely different atmosphere.

Hundreds of teenagers, psyching themselves up for the coming competition. The faint smell of gasoline in the air. Almost undetectable tremors wracked the ground as the machines roamed the premises.

It was like a spark of chaos had lit the air on fire.

Izuku rubbed the arm where his weapon was cleverly hidden. _The flames of chaos..._

And suddenly, the gate that separated the controlled zone from the waiting area opened with a rumbling groan.

Hell broke loose.

The surge of potential students nearly carried Izuku off his feet as they all sprinted towards the entrance. Izuku, gaining his footing, ran after them.

Inside the fake city, Izuku was almost overwhelmed by the amount of brilliant Quirks that were displayed. The annoying tall guy from earlier zipped around at incredible speeds; some other Quirk completely obliterated a 1-pointer bot.

It was _amazing_.

Izuku snapped himself out of his awe, realizing he had no points of his own.

A sick smirk painted his freckled face as he stuck out his arm, feeling the steady thrum of heat that pulsed through the weapon. He took off, heading for one of the "villains" that held the most points.

His heart was practically beating out of his chest in excitment as he came across it. Now was the time to see if it actually _really_ worked.

He activated the weapon. A stream of fire came from his arm, making its home of the robot. The slime Izuku had filled the weapon with stuck to the metal of the robot and seeped into the steel joints of the machine, and the fire went with it, burning the robot from the inside out.

But Izuku didn't stick around to watch. He had more points to collect.

 **X...X**

There was two minutes until the test ended when the 0-pointer appeared.

People screamed, heading in the opposite direction of the _thing_ , but Izuku froze when he heard a yelp.

The brunette girl from earlier had gotten trapped underneath falling wreckage.

Izuku felt a weird sort of glee, watching her struggle. Maybe it was from the image of her popping like a water balloon full of blood when the robot rolled over her. Yes, that could bring amusement.

Unfortunately for Izuku, the girl did not get ran over. No. Annoying glasses guy sprinted in and saved the day.

For a brief second, Izuku wondered if the guy had noticed the smile on Izuku's face. If he had, Izuku was going to have to work hard to gain his trust.

Izuku turned and disappeared behind a building.


	8. Chapter Six

**Interlude: Toshinori Yagi**

A thin, blonde man walked down a hallway of U.A. high school. A hand swept over his face tiredly, focusing on not tripping over the oversized suit that he had to wear in case of... emergencies.

He was on his way to watch potential students participate in exams. Honestly, he was a little thrilled. He could look for a successor...

"Toshinori."

The blonde man immediately stopped, turning to face the speaker. A grin lit up his face. "Aizawa! How can I help you?"

A pale man stood in front of him, dark bags hanging under bloodshot eyes.

"No. Not really. I just wanted to inform you that we have an interesting batch of kids this year." Aizawa said with a distinct lack of passion, pulling a folder out from under his arm. "Says here that there's a Quirkless kid trying to get in. That or no one listed his actual Quirk. Should've never changed the rules; that kid's gonna be torn to pieces..."

Toshinori muttered a vague agreement, though his mind was elsewhere. A Quirkless kid, huh?

He shook his head. No way it could be that same one, could it?

Toshinori shook his head, bringing himself out of his thoughts. Aizawa was looking at him with an eyebrow raised. The blonde man waved him off.

"Let's get down to the judges room, shall we?"

"Mm." was all that Aizawa responded with. Toshinori took it as a yes.

 **X...X**

Toshinori couldn't help the gasp that came out of his mouth when he saw him. The little Quirkless kid who had run straight into the battle with the slime villain. Toshinori leaned forward on his seat, skeletal hands clutching the armrests of the chair. The kid obviously didn't take Toshinori's advice about being a hero in a different way. That kind of determination was good sometimes, but not when it put his life in danger.

"Look at that!" A little mouse-bear-creature-thing cried out in amazement. Principal Nedzu, of course. A small paw was out stretched in excitement, pointing to the greenish-black haired boy.

A burst of flame had come from the boy's sleeve, destroying a robotic "villain" in seconds. Was that even allowed? Nedzu didn't seem upset by it. In fact, he seemed pleased.

"Wouldn't it be interesting to have a brilliant mind like his in the hero course." The intelligent animal mumbled to himself.

It just worried Toshinori even more. Something about the boy made the man uneasy.

 **X...X**

There was barely a minute left in the exam when the 0-pointer was released.

Toshinori watch with mild interest as most all students ran the other way. Except for three. The boy with the hollow eyes, another male potential student, and a crushed female examinee. He watched as both boys seemed to be assessing the situation. The blonde man grimaced as neither one did anything for a moment. Toshinori pressed a button, zooming the camera in on the scene. And for a split second, his eyes landed on the green eyed boy, whose mouth was split into what seemed like a grin. But before Toshinori could be sure... the cameras cut out.


	9. Chapter 7

**Chapter Six: Told You So**

Izuku was lying in his bed on his back. It was the day after the entrance exam, and he was still waiting for the acceptance letter. He knew he was getting in. There was no way he couldn't.

Principal Nedzu was a curious little thing, and Izuku was counting on just that. And plus, he had gotten enough points to appease any other judges.

Izuku blinked as he heard a crash from the living room before ththe sound of pounding feet got close to his door.

That would be his mother with the mail. He smirked, sitting up.

There was a tentative knock on the door, completely opposite of the frantic noises from before.

"I-Izuku, there's a letter here for you," came Inko's voice.

"Slide it under the door, please," Izuku responded. His heart had started to pound.

Excitement. Anticipation. And an arrogant feeling that he already knew the outcome.

The sound of floorboards creaking reached him as Inko bent down to pass the letter under the crack between the floor and the door.

"Thanks, Mom." Izuku's voice was breathless. He lifted the rather small, white envelope with a gentleness only comparable to a mother holding her newborn baby.

His eyes had went round, displaying emotion that Izuku had thought had died out a long time ago. He went over to his desk, sitting down. His fingers trembled as he took hold of the corner of the envelope. He tore it open bit by bit, making sure the tear was in a straight line as to not disturb the contents, until finally, finally, it was open.

His slim fingers entered the folds and took out a small, circular device. It hummed in his hand for a moment, before a screen of blue light opened up in front of him.

'A holographic letter', Izuku thought, excitement renewed. U.A., the most prestigious school for heroes.

All Might was pictured there, his own permanent smile looking strained. "Midoriya, my boy! Did I surprise you?"

'Not really,' Izuku responded in his head.

"Don't bother answering; this is a prerecorded message!"

Izuku rolled his eyes.

"I won't keep you waiting any longer, Midoriya! You did excellent on both your written and practical exam! And so I, and other teachers in the hero division, have came to a decision. You, Izuku Midoriya, have been accepted into the U.A. High School!"

Izuku could've screamed right then and there, but he contained himself, settling for a simple wriggle of glee. This was it.

The moment he had been waiting for since he was four.

He couldn't wait to tell Kacchan.

 **X...X**

Izuku was expecting to punch to his face, and he calmly took it in stride.

"You-you DAMN NERD!" Katsuki roared. There was no point in telling him to keep it down or remind him that they were in a relatively public area. Things like that would just enrage him further. "You couldn't have gotten in! You cheated, didn't you? DIDN'T YOU?!"

Izuku didn't respond, simply looking up at him with dull green eyes. Katsuki screamed, palms igniting with bursts of fire.

Izuku loved Kacchan's passion. His unbridled anger. His Quirk.

Izuku loved Kacchan. He knew he did, as he watched the blonde rage in front of him. That was the only explanation to this feeling in his chest.

"Aren't you proud of me, Kacchan?" Izuku asked, cutting off the other's raving. "I told you I would do it. Remember, Kacchan? I told you. I promised you, Kacchan."

Katsuki glared, disgusted, at Izuku. It wasn't from the ominous way the greenette spoke, no. Katsuki was used to that. He was disgusted because this Quirkless freak really thought he would remember such a meaningless promise from years ago.

"What the fuck ever, Deku." He growled. "Shove it up your ass." Anger sufficiently quelled for the moment, Katsuki turned and left.

And yet, as the boy with ruby eyes slept that night, he dreamt of a time that seemed far away. Of a forgotten promise. And of a boy who's sparkling eyes had dulled into chips of moss-stained rock.


End file.
